The Strong Bonds of Satoshi and Serena! Serena's Rising Comeback!
by Mirai Akina
Summary: Serena, after losing her first tripokalon, is adamant on changing herself. Upon returning to Miare City, the gang is excited to see Serena's next competition. But a sabotaging Team Rocket comes along and old doubts begins to resurface. Will her doubts cost her another win, or will a revelation shock her back enough win? Alternate take on Serena's second tripokalon.


_**A.N. Hey guys! Welcome to another one of my one-shots. This time, I'm exploring Amourshipping and this is a present for one of my friends (she really likes amourshipping). As for why I'm writing one-shots again, Vision is not doing too well, and rewriting Runo's Alter Ego is a lot of work (yes, I have spent a year editing one chapter. Give me a break). With college around the corner, I find that I will not have that much time writing for all of you. This actually took a year or two to write, with me adding little bits at a time. I hope you enjoy this fanfiction while you are eagerly waiting for another update for my multi-chaptered stories. Don't forget to review!**_

 _Japanese to English translations:_

 _Satoshi = Ash_

 _Eureka = Bonnie_

 _Citron = Clemont_

 _Miare City = Lumiose City_

 _Tripokalon= Pokèmon Showcase_

 _Hiyoku City = Coumarine City_

 _Asame Town = Vaniville Town_

 _Musashi = Jessie_

 _Kojiro = James_

 _Nyarth= Meowth_

 _Sana = Shauna_

 _Yayakoma = Fletchling_

 _Tairenar= Braixen_

 _Yancham= Pancham_

 _Musavie=_ _Jessilee_

 _Bakeccha= Pumpkaboo_

 _Elle= Aria_

It's another bright day in the Kalos region, and our heroes are coming close to Miare City for Satoshi's and Citron's gym battle and Serena's second tripokalon.

Satoshi stretched his arms to the sky, peering with a determined face. "So, Pikachu, are you ready to face Citron?" His mouse Pokèmon nodded his head and let out his signature cry. Citron's glasses flashed white. "Oh ho, Satoshi, you think you're prepared enough to defeat me?" Citron questioned. A spark ignited in Satoshi's eyes. He turned and exclaimed, "You bet! Pikachu and everyone have been working very hard for this!" Pikachu mimicked his trainer's enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Serena tapped her short hair, recalling her decision to change herself physically and mentally. She viewed her loss at Hiyoku City as a renewal. She finally knows what she wants to do, and for her dreams to become reality, she herself needed a few changes.

Eureka glanced up at Serena's melancholy expression. She, like everyone else, was stunned to find out she cut her golden long hair and changed into a new outfit. Of course, after leaving Hiyoku City, Serena was still her old self, but it was still a bit surprising.

"You okay, Serena?" Eureka asked. The older girl snapped her head up, blinking rapidly. She gave a sheepish laugh and responded with a nod and a hum. The two turned their attention to the bickering boys in front, and they couldn't help but sweatdrop at this.

"Boys...that's all they talk about these days," Serena whined, pouting. Eureka hid a giggle when the two boys overheard them. Satoshi and Citron copied Serena's pout. "Well, I haven't battle Citron seriously yet, so of course I'm excited," Satoshi retorted.

Their argument was lost to Eureka when she saw the familiar tower in the distance. She hollered, "We're here!" The group stopped everything and glanced at the tower with wonder. Simultaneously, they all shouted with joy and sprinted off.

A bush rustled, revealing three people (two people and a Nyarth) covered in leaves.

Musashi stretched her arms to the sky, while Kojiro and Nyarth yawned. "Is it just me, or are the twerps boring today?" Musashi asked. Kojiro nodded in agreement, mentioning, "It probably will be a bad time to steal their Pokèmon, since Miare City is a heavily populated place." Nyarth is still dazed from the boredom to say anything.

Kojiro cleared his throat. "Well, the only thing to do for now…" He was cut off by a flyer floating onto his head. "Hmm...Now what's this?" He skimmed over the content, which announced the next tripokalon at Miare City. Musashi looked over his shoulder. "What do we have here…?" Her eyes sparkled as soon as she saw the poster.

"Well, since we're here…" The trio flashed their signature creepy smiles.

 **With the heroes…**

"Ahh...this couch is wonderful!" Eureka squealed, bouncing up and down a particularly comfy sofa in a corner of the Pokèmon Center. Citron scolded her, shouting, "Eureka! Now's not the time to fool around!" She stopped and pouted, puffing her face in a non-intimidating, almost cute manner.

Serena walked up to Nurse Joy, gripping her trainer ID with an unnatural hold. The girl swallowed nervously before taking a deep breath. "Hello, I would like to register for the tripokalon." Nurse Joy flashed a friendly grin and immediately began to type on a keyboard.

"Alright, just place your ID onto the screen below." Serena promptly did so, and the familiar image of her and her information popped on. "Serena of Asame Town…" Nurse Joy pushed a few more buttons, "You're set! Good luck!" She only nodded and turned around to her travel companions.

Citron wasn't a mind reader (even though that seemed really cool to have), but something was off about Serena. Usually, she would be excited to compete in something. Then again...Serena's first competition didn't go so well…

" _That can't be right. Serena accepted her loss and is now training harder than ever for this. There's something else…"_

He observed Serena getting encouraging words from Satoshi and Eureka, her face holding a forced smile. Satoshi then announced that he needed to go to the Pokèmart to buy some potions. As he ran out, Serena's gaze shifted to Satoshi's retreating back, a tinge of longing appearing subtly.

Oh. So she wanted Satoshi to pay attention to her.

But, that wasn't right. Satoshi gave a lot of his attention to Serena, maybe even more than he gave to Eureka and him. Citron's lips formed a thin line as he concentrated on what's wrong with Serena.

Wait. Could it be…?

Citron blinked. Maybe he was hallucinating. The blonde boy took off his glasses and quickly cleaned it with a cloth. Nope, vision is as clear as day.

When did Serena hold feelings for Satoshi? Even though he wasn't a love expert, he wasn't that dense...right?

Citron decided to drop the issue for today. His head was getting dizzy over the possibility of having two of his travel companions become a couple. He dragged his tired body up the stairs to his room and crashed on his bed. Hopefully, things would be clear tomorrow.

 **The next day…**

The sound of Yayakomas chirping over the roof of the Pokèmon Center woke up a dazed Serena. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms upwards. The blanket was thrown off her, and she dashed off to prepare for the day.

Downstairs, Satoshi and Eureka chowed down on their breakfast, while Citron sat quietly next to them. Now that his head was refreshed, he could focus on yesterday's topic. He recalled the times where Serena and Satoshi were a bit too close to each other.

Then, a mental lightning bolt blasted his head. " _Wait, what happened to them when they went shopping for presents for their Pokèmon? Is that when Serena made a move?"_ Citron was still in shocked mood- literally. Satoshi, after calling the gym leader's name for a number of times, commanded Pikachu to use thunderbolt on him. Citron's blonde hair was now charred into a yellow and black afro.

It was this scene that Serena walked into. Satoshi was rapidly sprouting out apologies to Citron. Eureka comically shook her brother back and forth, her brother's head getting dizzier by the minute.

Serena's response was a sweatdrop.

"G-good morning everyone," she spoke out nervously. The group returned her greeting, dropping everything that they were doing. Serena sat down apprehensively next to Satoshi.

Ever since their "date", Serena's crush for Satoshi grew. And as it grew, so did her timid side. She found herself blushing more when he does something heroic; her urges to hold his hand got stronger with each passing day. She didn't know what to do. These feelings are in the way of her focus.

The poor girl couldn't even look at him in the eye.

Satoshi glanced at Serena's dazed face. Her eyes shifted restlessly on various objects around the room. Oblivious to her inner struggles, his mind jumped to the conclusion that she was merely nervous about the tripokalon, and he accepted this, turning away from the girl to think about his gym battle in a few days.

Eureka flicked her head between the two trainers (her brother is still passed out from Pikachu's thunderbolt). The aura from Serena was tense and distracted. The obviously distressed girl noticed Eureka's stare and waved her hand in order to signal that nothing was wrong. Of course Eureka didn't believe her, and she flashed her worried pout.

Serena huffed, adjusting her sight to her lap. The hands resting on her pink skirt clenched into fists. Abruptly, she stood up, offered her thanks for breakfast, and dashed out the door, clutching a pokèball from her bag. The others blinked at one another, silently wondering why Serena was acting differently.

 **Later that day...**

"Okay, Tairenar. One more time," Serena encouraged. The exhausted fox panted out her complaint, already bending over and clutching her legs. Yancham patted Tairenar on her shoulder, speaking in a hushed tone. Serena watched their exchange with a lost frown.

" _I can't get this combination right. Why can't I?"_

Serena tugged her short hair. Her energy completely gone, she collapsed onto the ground. The trio fell into silence.

"Oh, Serena. Are you okay?"

The familiar voice shook Serena out of her reverie, and she whipped her head around to find one of her rivals, Sana, slightly bending over in her direction.

"Sana! It's been awhile!" Serena exclaimed.

Her rival waved once, sporting her energetic smile. "What's the matter, Serena? You don't look too good. Is there anything I could do?" She rapidly asked as she sat down next to her. Serena turned away from Sana, letting out a heavy sigh.

"The tripokalon is in a few days, and I can't seem to pull off this routine off."

Sana patted her rival's shoulder. "I know you can do it, Serena. Your performances are amazing, and it's always wonderful to watch you on stage!" she encouraged. After hearing Sana's faith in her, Serena smiles a brighter grin, nodding with a surge of confidence.

"You're right! I can't give up now! Tairenar, Yamcham! One more time!" Her Pokèmon cheered in agreement.

"Okay! This time, we'll get it for sure!"

 **The next day…**

"Maybe staying up that late wasn't a good idea," groaned out Serena, her hair, despite her combing it for a half hour, all over the place.

"Yeah...we should have stopped earlier," muttered Sana.

The rest of the group looked at the two energy-drained girls with worry. Sana's curls drooped onto her shoulder, lying limp even as Sana huffed. As for Serena, her hat is tittering on her head to the point where it could slide off at any time. She occasionally banged her head on the table in exhaustion. As they watched, the two rivals simultaneously let out a heavy sigh.

More worried than anyone else, Satoshi tentatively asked, "Hey, Serena, are you okay?"

Her head snapped up at her name. "Ah, yes! I'm fine, completely fine!" She tried her best to assure him, but he crossed his arms, his frown getting wider. Citron inputted his advice, "Maybe you should take it easy for today. Rest is always important."

At this, Serena stubbornly refused. She couldn't afford to put off another day, especially since one portion of her routine is so tricky to pull off. "I can't, Citron. The tripokalon is tomorrow, and my choreography isn't working!" Huffing out in frustration, Serena once again banged her head onto the table.

"Well, if you want, we could help you find the places that don't fit! It'll be faster that way!" suggested Satoshi. The rest of the group excitedly encouraged this, and Serena couldn't help but smile.

"Okay then! Let's get to work!"

…

"Tairenar, use flamethrower!" Upon her command, her Pokèmon flicked her branch in a circle before aiming it to the sky. Tairenar continued to spin her branch in a circular motion, causing the flames to create a tightly coiled spiral. Serena spun once, twice, before launching Yamcham into the line of fire.

"Use dark pulse!"

Yamcham launched a ray of dark purple rings at the coil of fire. The impact of the moves pushed Yamcham to the ground, but he recovered quickly, launching into a backflip before landing on his feet. The attacks flew towards each other in an arch, creating a contrasting split of darkness and fiery light. Everyone looked on in anticipation.

The arch met in the center...and produced a giant cloud of black smoke that engulfed the area.

While the rest of the group covered their noses and mouths from the smoke, Serena struggled to keep her frustration inside. Tairenar and Yamcham turned their heads to their trainer, their frowns boring into Serena.

" _Why? Why won't it work?"_

"This is bad. If this isn't perfected soon, then the performance round will be a bust," Citron rubbed his chin at his warning. Satoshi swatted away the remaining puffs of smoke, stating, "Well, we can't waste any time then. Let's get to work!" Eureka and Sana voiced their agreements.

Unbeknownst to the heroes, Team Rocket observed Serena's failure from a conveniently placed tree.

"There's no way she'll be able to perfect it in time. The tripokalon's tomorrow," said Musashi. Kojiro flashed the same smug smirk as Musashi. Continuing their monologue, he suggested, "How about we make sure it stays that way?" Nyarth's face darkened as he caught his teammates' implied plan.

"That sounds like a great idea!"

…

It was fast approaching the middle of the day, and Serena made fast progress on her routine. She's able to execute it with little difficulty now, but sometimes, the combination of flamethrower and dark pulse would end with a giant cloud of smoke.

"Okay, Tairenar, Yamcham! One more time, and then you can take a break."

"Oh, sorry for intruding. I came to see what the commotion is about."

The intrusive voice of Musavie snagged the attention of the heroes, for they all whipped their heads in her direction. Disguised in her performance attire, Musavie came out of the clearing. Kojiro and Nyarth were nowhere in sight.

"I keep seeing smoke from the Pokèmon Center. Are you sure your show's ready?" Musavie sweetly inquired. Sana, however, could hear the underlying sneer in her voice, and responded with a glare.

"Oh, umm...of course it's ready! I'm just polishing," assured an oblivious Serena. Musavie scoffed at this, turning her attention to Serena herself.

"Is that so? Are you sure it won't be like the last tripokalon?"

Serena gasped at this. Satoshi and the others finally shared Sana's glare. Musavie continued, "How can I forget? The way your Pokèmon happen to fall over one measly ribbon was saddening, to say the least. And even with you changing your appearance, I bet the same thing will happen again."

The insulted girl gritted her teeth. She had hit a nerve right on the nail. Serena clutched her fists, holding herself back from losing her composure.

"You're one to talk! Your routine at the last tripokalon wasn't that great either!" defended Sana. Musavie only raised her head to the sky. "I thought my Pokemon's performance was excellent. People just don't have good taste," she replied.

Noble as Sana's efforts were, the damage was done, for Serena brought her fists onto her heart. She bent her head down, struggling to stop her tears from falling.

"Serena…" whispered Satoshi.

The disguised Musashi smiled coyly at her victory. "Well, it's not like you are completely hopeless. I'll be happy to take your Pokèmon under my wing." She turned to the Tairenar and Yamcham, who both glared at her. Musavie cut the eye contact to look over to the bush where her teammates are hiding. She smirked, signaling to start the plan soon.

"I will fix it! Just you wait and see!" shouted Serena.

"I look forward to it," mocked Musavie as she strutted away. Satoshi saw Serena's tear-streaked face and could only mutter her name.

"Serena…"

His companion wiped the tears running from her eyes and picked up her Yamcham.

"Can I have some time alone, please?" choked out Serena.

…

It was now nighttime in Miare City, and from a balcony of the Pokèmon Center, Serena frowned at the brilliant light show surrounding her. It mocked her, taunted her of her failure to produce the same bright results from her routine.

" _Why am I up? I should be sleeping or thinking of ways to fix the problem. The competition's tomorrow. And yet...I don't want to do anything…"_

As Serena looked on, dazed and unfocused, Satoshi, stretching his arms, opened the window to his own balcony with Pikachu jumping onto his shoulder.

"Serena, are you alright?"

The fog in her eyes didn't go away, but it thinned out slightly, and the girl looked at Satoshi. "Satoshi, why are you up this late?" He only looked up at the stars. "I couldn't sleep. Maybe it's anticipation?"

Serena didn't follow Satoshi's gaze. She instead focused on the lights of the city, her head down. "Do you think I'll be able to make it?" she timidly asked. Satoshi turned his attention to her, lost for words.

"It's just that...I'm afraid. What if I mess up again? I don't think I could handle that again."

Satoshi's smile never wavered, even when she spoke her true doubts. "I know you'll make it, Serena. You're not the type of person to give up when things gets rough," he encouraged. Walking over to the edge of the balcony, he stretched out his hand. She looked at it with teary eyes.

"The Serena I know would find a way. And when she does, it will fire everyone up. For sure."

The lights, in her blurred vision, glowed brighter, creating a scenery of rainbow colors. Satoshi's hand still remained outstretched, but this time, Serena reached out to grab it.

"Fire...that's it!"

A plan instantaneously flashed to her mind. Of course, why haven't she thought of that before? If smoke was inevitably going to happen…

"Satoshi, I think I got it!"

He gave an encouraging smile. "I knew you would get something." The girl started pacing, her smile brighter than the lights of the city.

"Just watch, Satoshi! I'll perfect it!" With her proclamation in place, Serena hurried out of the Pokèmon Center.

"Serena, where are you going?!"

"I'm going to practice, Satoshi!"

"Don't be up so late!"

"I won't! I'll be back soon!"

As Satoshi watched Serena disappear into the city, he left out a content sigh. Pikachu chose this time to climb his shoulder, purring when Satoshi rubbed his cheek.

"Glad that I was able to help her...even if just a little bit, right Pikachu?"

…

"Where's Serena? The performance is about to start soon!" Sana tugged at her hair. Citron nervously adjusted his glasses, his lips thinning into a tiny frown. Satoshi, on the other hand, didn't look all too concerned.

"She'll be here. See, there she is."

The mentioned girl came running up to them in a flustered dash. Her short hair, flowing behind her as she ran, was adorned with two flame pins. Her white dress blended to a fiery red at the trims, and a black belt hung smugly at her waist. Her boots was in a similar design as her dress, with the ends a bright scarlet red.

Tairenar and Yamchan didn't have any accessories added onto their form, but the fire starter held two white fans in her hands. Everyone tilted their heads at the strange attachments.

"Umm..Serena, where is Tairenar's branch?" questioned Citron.

"It's on her tail. We're not going to use it that extensively today," Serena answered. Her pokemon expressed their agreement, with the fox swinging both of fans in an elegant manner. Satoshi glanced between Serena and her companions and gave a small smile.

"Are you ready, Serena?"

"Yes, let's do this."

…

"Welcome, everyone, to Miare City's tripokalon! I hope we haven't kept you all waiting, so let's meet our contestants! First off is Musavie!" The disguised Team Rocket blew kisses to the audience, her purple dress nearly obscuring her Bakeccha. It did not stop the Pokèmon, as it also gestured friendly waves to the crowd.

"Next up is Serena!"

Satoshi and the others raised their voices at her name. "Go, Serena! Show them what you're made of!" Eureka cheered.

The blonde girl dashed to the stage, twirling across the stage with her fire starter. Serena tries her best to put on her biggest show smile, but the nervousness inside of her crawled through her blood. Citron could sense the anxiety emitting from the way she composed herself.

"I wonder if Serena is going to be alright…"

…

The first round was easier than Serena thought.

To proceed to the performance round, the contestants had to make special foods catered to a specific Pokèmon, displaying a trainer's knowledge of a Pokèmon's multiple personalities and tastes. Luckily, Serena had been getting tips from Citron as they traveled, allowing her to confidently pass the first trial.

Now...time for the performance round.

Serena could see Musavie entertain the crowd with yet another strange routine. Something about a glow-in-the-dark fright fest. The judges were impressed, sure (judging by their reactions), but even Satoshi can see the discomfort the audience felt at her performance.

"Now our last performance of the day belongs to Serena! Give her a round of applause!"

She heard the crowd cheering, and her Pokèmon both nodded at her. Serena raised her head.

"It's show time."

The room darkened, coaxing whispers of excitement to echo across the stadium. Someone saw a flash of fire, and then another flicker burned to life.

"Let's go, Tairenar, Yamcham!"

Serena danced around the edge of the stage, while her fire starter brushed the air with red and orange flame strokes. Yamcham assisted Serena in mesmerizing the crowd with quirky dance moves. After a while of floating embers and entertaining stunts, Serena began the true spectacle of her routine.

"Yamcham, dark pulse! Tairenar, flamethrower!"

The fox-like pokemon twirled one of its fans, channeling a fire that spiraled into a neat coil. Yamcham conjured a wave of purple rings, aiming it at the perfectly made flamethrower. Satoshi and the others all held their breath as their attacks collided.

The sound of an explosion was heard, and black mist flooded the area.

Eureka could not hide her distress. "No way...she didn't perfect it…" Citron hung his head down as a gesture of defeat, but Satoshi stared straight at the disaster zone.

"It's not over yet. I know Serena will pull through," he reassured, spreading confusion to his traveling companions. Did Satoshi know something they didn't?

Serena, on the other hand, immediately went to work.

"Time for plan B, guys!" she shouted. Even with the domed ceiling of the stadium, no one heard her panicked demand.

The smoke started to reach the end of the stage, sparking anxiety into the judges and announcer. Before the host could mutter a word, one audience member exclaimed, "Wait...look! Is that..."

Beyond the thick veil, rugged rocks burst from the stage, letting off a sprinkle of sparkles. Something dashed up the makeshift stairway, and people struggled to see just who or what is crazy enough to attempt the climb.

"Fly, Tairenar!"

The haze abruptly parted. Yamcham stealthily destroyed its stone edge with dark pulse, causing the sparkles to explode in a flurry of wind. Serena caught the falling panda-like Pokèmon as she observed the masterpiece she had unleashed.

Tairenar's fans spewed fire outward and upwards, engulfing the stage with a warm embrace. The branch tucked in her tail was also letting out fire, stretching up to the domed ceiling of the stadium. Tairenar held its head up proudly as it leaped into the sky. The crowd was speechless. To think that such a spectacle had erupted from what should have been a massive failure!

"It's like a phoenix being reborn," Sana whispered in awe.

The fire starter performed two flips before landing delicately on its feet. The wings floated away into cinders, and Tairenar twirled once before giving a bow to the audience.

Everyone was silent. A cold sweat dripped down the side of Serena's face. She held her ending pose for what seemed like hours, waiting for someone, anyone, to give her the signal to put her arms down.

The sharp sound of hands clapping broke her devastated train of thought. Satoshi stood in the darkness of the stadium, energetically displaying his praise for her.

Seeing Satoshi in the midst of so many reluctant fans brought tears to her eyes. Her hard work, even if it didn't turn out the way she wanted it to, was being acknowledged by someone. Someone who never failed to show his appreciation.

The crowd followed his example shortly afterwards.

"W-what an awe-inspiring performance from Serena! Was that smoke intentional? A foggy mishap that turned into a spectacle? I still can't believe my eyes!" the announcer shakily exclaimed. The audience's cheers grew louder, as if to disagree on the host's thoughts. Serena saw her friends cheering just as loud as the people around them, and she felt the tears starting to form in her eyes.

She did it. She really did it.

…

"And now that the performance round is over, it's time for our audience to determine the winner! Everyone, send your desired color over to the stage!"

Citron, Eureka, Satoshi, and Sana all threw a small pink orb over to the decorated judging board. Serena refused to close her eyes, instead choosing to clutch her fist to her heart.

" _I must not turn away. I'm not ashamed of my performance, and I know that we pulled off a wonderful spectacle!"_

The blond man in the blue coat twirled his baton, signaling the end of the judging stage.

"And now, the winner of the Miare City tripokalon is…"

Satoshi looked on with bated breath. Serena had to win. He had complete confidence in her.

Serena did not catch her friends' anticipated gazes, finally losing the will to face the darkness of the crowd. She could feel the shame slowly crawl into her, much like the way she felt at her first tripokalon. The crushed hope of a potential rising star, the crowd's unforgiving gaze…

She couldn't shove down the lump in her throat, nor could she stop her body from shaking.

"Serena!"

The sharp ring of her name slapped her out of her stump. She couldn't hear the excited cheers of the audience beyond the blood pounding in her ear.

She won. She really…

"Alright, Serena!" Eureka exclaimed, jumping from her seat to pump her fist in the air. Citron tried his best to push his sister down, but he didn't hide the relieved smile on his face. Satoshi, surprisingly, didn't stand up to join Eureka's enthusiasm, instead choosing to stare at the stunned performer with the eyes of a proud master.

" _I never doubted you, Serena."_

…

"And now, let me hand Serena the Miare City Princess Key. Congratulations once again for a wonderful performance."

The key's end is shaped like the inside of a light bulb, three short silver sticks connected by a white cord. Two white ribbons striped with gold adorned the hole of the grip, and a large white gem, streaked with a lightning bolt, was chained to the ring by the ribbons. Serena marveled at the key, delicately holding it in her hands.

" _My first key...one of many to come! I can't wait!"_

Looking at her Pokemon, Serena finally let the victory settle into her mind.

"I've just got my first Princess Key!"

The crowd cheered once more, filling the once dejected performer with new hope.

Once Serena regrouped with her friends, each of them offer their own way of congratulating the girl for her success.

"Wow, so now you have the same number of Princess Keys as I do," Sana pointed out. Serena smiled, still holding up her hard-earned prize.

"I'll make it all the way to the Master Class and beat Elle one day!"

"I look forward to it! But don't think I'll lose to you!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

After another promise to improve themselves for their next confrontation, Sana left the group with a bright smile and a determined wave.

"To be honest, I was a bit worried there. Seeing all of that smoke...I thought it was going to be a big disaster!" Citron hung his head down slightly, probably embarrassed over the fact that he didn't have faith in her.

"No, that's okay, Citron. I was worried there myself," reassured Serena. She turned to Satoshi, who is standing there with a small grin.

"Thank you, Satoshi. I never would have been able to pull off my routine without your help."

"Of course, Serena. I'm glad that my advice helped you."

Eureka looked back and forth between the two, confused over the sudden atmosphere change.

"Citron, did something happen between them? They seem a bit…" Eureka was cut off by her brother's weird face.

" _Oh dear lord! I knew it; something did happen between them. Are Eureka and I doomed to be third wheelers?!"_

Citron slowly falls to the ground, visible tear tracks running down his face.

And so, Serena's second tripokalon had come to an end. Fueled by the prospect that she might have what it took to become the Kalos Queen, Serena is sure to pull off more exciting shows for the region to enjoy.

As the journey continues…

 _To be continued…_ (Not really)

 _ **That is the end of this one-shot. It really feels like a long journey with many ups and downs. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me up to this point, and that I hope to gain even more followers and fans in the future. Please go onto my profile to read more of my stories if you are interested. There's no sequel to this (sorry to those who want one), but maybe I'll write more Pokèmon fanfictions soon (well, not right now, since Runo's Alter Ego and Vision are my top priorities at this moment). Thank you all, and as for now, this is tale end.**_


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